SELECTED RESOURCES IN THEATER

Model by Lee Simonson for Act II of Gluck's Iphigenia in Tauris from Theatre Arts Magazine, December 1917.

Encyclopedias, Guides and Dictionaries     World Theatre ~  American Theatre Theater Terminology Primary Source Databases Periodical Article Indexes Theater Review Indexes Biographical Sources Bibliographies Directories Selected Web Sites Citation Styles Research and Reference Help Finding Videos in the Library

See also these related subject guides: Africana Studies ~ American Literature ~ American Indian Studies ~ Comparative Literature ~ English Literature ~ Feminism, Gender, & Sexuality Studies ~ Film ~ History ~ Latino Studies ~ Multicultural Literature of the U.S. ~ Pre-1800 Imprints, British & American

World Theater

The Cambridge Guide to Theatre.Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1992. Olin Ref PN2035 C17

Alphabetic listing of theatre culture and history, attempting to present "a comprehensive view of the history and present practice of theatre in all parts of the world, thus pointing to the dynamic interaction of performance traditions from all cultures in present day theatre."(Preface)

The Columbia Enyclopedia of Modern Drama. Gabrielle Cody and Evert Sprinchorn, eds. 2 vols. New York: Columbia UP, 2007. Olin Ref PN1861 C65 2007+

Covers 1860 to the present. Entries emphasize the cultural context of dramatic works and their authors and their relationship to significant social, political, artistic, and philosophical movements. Includes articles on emerging authors and the conventional and experimental theater worldwide.

Companion to Theatre in Australia. Sydney: Currency Press in association with Cambridge Univ. Press, 1995. Olin Ref PN3011 C73 1995+

Covers theatre in Australia in all its forms since 1788. Some 1300 entries, alphabetically organised and ranging in length from 200 to 7000 words, cover Australian and visiting personalities who have influenced Australian cultural history; genres from melodrama and the classics to pantomime, musical theatre, circus and performance art. Longer entries include historical accounts of colonial theatre, industrial relations, touring conditions, acting style, management dramatic criticism, set design, theatre buildings, government subsidy, regional and amateur theatre, training and technology. Aboriginal theatre influence, immigrants, and the traditions of European, Asian and American theatre in Australia have also been examined. Some 200 writers have contributed to the work, ranging from academics to private researchers and theatre practitioners.

The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre. 2nd ed. Oxford University Press, 1992.

"This concise version of the acclaimed Oxford Companion to the Theatre covers all aspects of theatre worldwide and throughout the ages. It contains entries on a vast range of theatrical styles, dramatists, performers, and directors, as well as information on theatres, festivals, and such technical topics as lighting, sound, and method acting. Entries on people and places include Athol Fugard, Anthony Hopkins, Glenda Jackson, Derek Jacobi, Harvey Fierstein, Helen Mirren, Trevor Nunn, Peter O'Toole, Willy Russell, and Stephen Sondheim, Barbican Theatre, The English Shakespeare Company, Michael Gambon, The Swan at Stratford, and the Shubert theatre in New York." (publisher)

Enciclopedia Dello Spettacolo. Roma: Casa Editrice Le Maschere, 1954-1962. 9 vols. Olin Ref PN2035 E563+ ; also Music Ref

Designed to cover the "grand spectacle" from antiquity to the present, including theater, opera, ballet, film, vaudville and the circus. Entries discuss performers, authors, composers, directors, designers, etc. Profusely illustrated. Contains bibliographies.

Encyclopedia of Latin American Theater, edited by Eladio Cortés and Mirta Barrea-Marlys. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2003. Olin Ref PQ7082 D7 E63x 2003 +

Traces the history of Latin American theater, including the Nuyorican and Chicano theaters of the United States, and surveys its history from the pre-Columbian period to the present. Sections cover individual Latin American countries. Each section features alphabetically arranged entries for playwrights, independent theaters, and cultural movements.

International Dictionary of Theatre. 3 vol. Chicago: St. James Press, 1992-1996. Uris Ref PN2035 I59 1995

In three volumes, Vol.1 Plays, Vol.2 Playwrights, and Vol.3 Actors, Directors and Designers. Entries for plays provide a synopsis of the play, date of first publication and prodution, and a selected list of critical material. Entries for playwrights provide a discussion of the playwright's work, a list of works, and a short list of general criticism. Entries for actors, directors and designers provide basic biographical information, a list of their roles, and a short list of other biographical sources.

McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of World Drama: An International Reference Work in Five Volumes. 2nd ed. 5 vols. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1984. Uris Ref PN 1625 M14+ 1984; also Olin Ref

"The purpose of the book is to present, in the clearest possible format, factual information and critical evaluations of numerous dramatists' work and stature." (Preface) Most entries contain a biographical sketch, a brief critique of the dramatist's work, a selection of synopses of his/her plays, a bibliography of editions and usually a list of critical and biographical works. Emphasis is on English and Western European playwrights. Includes some general essays on drama of the world as well as many photographs taken during actual productions.

Oxford Companion to Canadian Theatre, edited by Eugene Benson and L.W. Conolly. Toronto; New York: Oxford University Press, 1989. Olin Ref PN2301 O98

Charts the expansion and development of Canadian theatre from the beginnings to the present. It contains some 680 entries including biographies of actors, playwrights, directors, designers and details of major plays, and such subjects as theatres and companies, collective theatre, ethnic theatre, musical theatre, and radio and television drama. Indexed.

Oxford Companion to the Theatre. 4th edition. New York: Oxford, l983. Uris Ref PN 2035 H33 1983; also Olin

This handbook provides information on every aspect of the theatre up to the end of l982. Coverage is international in scope. Some articles deal with contemporary theatre in foreign countries, dramatic criticism, musical comedy, scenery, opera, Shakespearean Festivals, and blacks in the American theatre. All articles are signed. Separate sections in the back include a select list of theatre books, and notes on the illustrations.

Oxford Dictionary of Plays by Michael Patterson. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, c2005. Olin Ref PN1625 P38 2005

"The Oxford Dictionary of Plays provides essential information on the 1000 best-known, best-loved, and most important plays in world theater. Each entry includes details of title, author, date of composition, date of first performance, genre, setting, and the composition of the cast, and more. A synopsis of the plot and a brief commentary, perhaps on the context of the play, or the reasons for its enduring popularity, follow. Around 80 of the most significant plays - from The Oresteia to Waiting for Godot - are dealt with in more detail. Genres covered include: burlesque, comedy, farce, historical drama, kabuki, masque, melodrama, morality play, mystery play, No, romantic comedy, tragicomedy, satire, and tragedy." --From the publisher's website

Oxford Encyclopedia of Theatre and Performance, edited by Dennis Kennedy. 2 vols. Oxford Univ. Press, 2003. Also in print: Olin Ref PN2035 O92x 2003+

Provides information about theatre and performance internationally, through history and in the present. The 4300 entries are complemented by over 100 illustrations. Coverage ranges from ancient Greek theatre to 21st century developments in London, Paris, New York, and around the globe. Pays special attention to non-Western styles through articles on theatre and performance throughout Asia and Africa, often written by practitioners or critics from those areas. Dance, opera, performance art, radio, film, and television are covered at length. Also embraces para-theatrical, non-drammatic, and popular performance, including ritual, carnivals, parades, the circus, and public executions. Biographical entries cover the lives and work of major figures from the past and present: actors, playwrights, directors, designers, and critics. Entries on cities and regions place performance in its local social and political context.

Theaterlexikon.

German-language reference work based on the CD-ROM edition published in 1999 by Systhema Verlag and searchable in the Xipolis database.

Theatre: Stage to Screen to Television, by William Torbert Leonard. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press, 1981. 2 vols. Olin Ref PN2189 L58

Documents the stage, television and screen histories of plays that were produced in other media.

20th Century Theatre. 2 vols. New York: Facts on File, 1983. Uris Ref PN2189 L84+

This work is designed to "offer an overview of theatre activity in North America and the British Isles since 1900, and to provide a "date-finder" for those who want information about a particular theatre event, production, personality or playhouse." (Preface) Arrangement is chronological, beginning with 1900 and ending with 1979. Within each year, arrangement is by month and covers theatre productions, American and British play premieres, revivals and repertoires, and births, deaths, and debuts. An author, title, subject index at the end of the volume helps to provide access to specific items. There is, in addition, an excellent bibliography of books about the theater, although its arrangement in chronological order by date of publication makes it awkward to use.

World Encyclopedia of Contemporary Theatre, 6 vols.(projected). Routledge, 1994-2000

Beginning with 1945, surveys the "range of national theatrical activity on a country-by-country basis from a specifically national standpoint." (intro) Each article covers a nation's theatrical history, artistic trends, structure of its theatre community, artistic profile, dance theatre, youth theatre, puppet theatre, theatre space and architecture, theatrical training, theatre criticism, scholarship and publishing. Bibliographies included. The 5 available volumes are dispersed among several campus libraries:
v 1. Europe, v 2. Americas, v 6. Bibliography/Cumulative index, Olin Ref PN1861 W67w 1994+
v 3. Africa, Africana Ref PN1861 W67x 1994
v 5. Asia, Kroch Library Asia Ref PN1861 W67x 1994

IBDB (Internet Broadway Database)

The official database for Broadway theatre information. IBDB provides records of productions from the beginnings of New York theatre until today. Details include pertinent people involved as well as interesting facts and production statistics. Get a list of every production of Hamlet on Broadway or a list of your favorite actor's credits. Find out what played at a particular theatre or what shows opened in a specified Broadway season.

Broadway: its History, People, and Places: an Encyclopedia, Ken Bloom. New York: Routledge, 2003. 2nd ed. Olin Ref F128.65 T5 B56x 2003+

Arranged in an A-Z format, this encyclopedia covers producers, writers, composers, lyricists, set designers, theaters, performers, shows and landmarks. Illustrated, cross-referenced, indexed and with a full bibliography, this work provides a comprehensive history of Broadway extending from its beginnings to the new millennium, a full revision of entries from the first edition, and entries on the most noteworthy productions and shows. (abridged publisher description)

Dictionary of the Black Theatre: Broadway, off-Broadway, and Selected Harlem Theatre. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood, 1983. Africana Ref PN2270 A35 W86; Olin Ref PN2270 A35 W86

Contains ocumentation for approximately three hundred shows, from A Trip to Coontown (1898) to 1981's Dreamgirls. The title of each show is followed by its theatre, opening date, number of performances, complete list of creative personnel, cast credits, and, where appropriate, a list of the show's songs. Each entry also contains a plot summary, a survey of critical comment, and, where significant, an analysis of the show's historical context. Also includes biographical entries for major performers, writers, and directors, and notes on those organizations which encouraged the growth and development of black theatre in New York City. The Dictionary concludes with a chronology of all shows included in the text, a discography of black shows, and a selected bibliography of studies related to black theatre history and criticism. (publisher description)

Encyclopedia of the New York stage, 1920-1930. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1985. 2 vols. Olin Ref PN2277 N5 L53

Encyclopedia of the New York stage, 1930-1940. New York: Greenwood Press, 1989. Olin Ref PN2277 N5 L364x 1989

Encyclopedia of the New York stage, 1940-1950. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1992. Olin Ref PN2277 N5 L535 1992

These volumes provide factual data and anecdotal and analytical description of every legitimate play, musical, revue, or revival staged in the New York professional theatre and reviewed by the press during the decades covered. Appendices offer listings of plays chronologically and in categories as well as play sources, awards, information on theatres, institutional theatres, and foreign companies, reviewers, and various statistics. Selected bibliographies and indexes of names and titles included.

Ethnic Theatre in the United States,edited by Maxine Schwartz Seller. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1983. Olin Ref PN2226 E84

Contains an introductory overview to ethnic theatre followed by 19 original essays (e.g., Armenian-American Theatre, Yiddish Theatre in the United States) that cover particular ethnic theater traditions, as well as their social, educational, and political importance. Appendixes, bibliographies, and a general index.

Oxford Companion to American Theatre, Thomas S. Hischak & Gerald Bordman. New York: Oxford Univ. Press, 2004. 3rd ed. Olin Ref PN2220 B72 2004 also online

A guide to the American stage from its beginnings to the present, the volume includes playwrights, plays, actors, directors, producers, songwriters, famous playhouses, dramatic movements, etc. The book covers classic works (such as Death of a Salesman) as well as many commercially successful plays (such as Getting Gertie's Garter), plus entries on foreign figures that have influenced dramatic development in the US (from Shakespeare to Beckett and Pinter). New entries include recent plays such as Angels in America and Six Degrees of Separation, performers such as Eric Bogosian and Bill Irwin, playwrights like David Henry Hwang and Wendy Wasserstein, and relevant developments and issues including AIDS in American theatre, theatrical producing by Disney, and the rise in solo performance. (Publisher's description, abridged)

THEATER TERMINOLOGY

Dictionary of the Theatre: Terms, Concepts, and Analysis, Patrice Pavis; translated by Christine Shantz. Toronto; Buffalo: University of Toronto Press, c1998. Olin Ref PN2035 P29 1998+

While covering much of the basic historical and literary terminology of the discipline, this dictionary emphasizes the "specialized theoretical vocabulary that is now regularly employed in theoretical writing about the theatre." (foreword)

Glossary of Technical Theatre Terms

Online dictionary from the University of Exeter. Provides information on nearly 1500 technical terms in 17 theatre categories (e.g, lighting, stage management, sound, costume, administration).

An International Dictionary of Theatre Language. Westport: Greenwood, 1985. Olin Ref PN2035 I61

15,000 terms described spanning theater history from ancient times to the present day. Extensive bibliography and numerous cross references make this a valuable research tool.

NTC's Dictionary of Theatre and Drama Terms. Lincolnwood, IL: National Textbook Co., c1992. Olin Ref PN 2035 M63x 1992

Theatre. A Book of Words.Martin Harrison. Manchester: Carcanet, 1993. Olin Ref PN2035 H32

Defines approximately 1200 contemporary and historical theatrical terms. Bibliography included.

Theatre Backstage from A to Z, Warren C. Lounsbury, Norman C. Boulanger. Seattle: University of Washington Press, c1999. 4th ed. Olin Ref PN2091 M3 L68x 1999

An encyclopedia of all the technical aspects of stagecraft for both beginners and old hands. Considers construction, design, lighting, painting, properties, sounds, stage managing and other areas down to such details as tying a knot and constructing a flat. Includes over 300 illustrations.

PRIMARY SOURCE DATABASES

ARTFL. Chicago, Ill.: Dept. of Romance Languages and Literatures, University of Chicago

"...consists of nearly 2000 texts, ranging from classic works of French literature to various kinds of non-fiction prose and technical writing. The eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth centuries are about equally represented, with a smaller selection of seventeenth century texts as well as some medieval and Renaissance texts ... Genres include novels, verse, theater, journalism, essays, correspondence, and treatises. Subjects include literary criticism, biology, history, economics, and philosophy. In most cases standard scholarly editions were used in converting the text into machine-readable form, and the data contain page references to these editions."

Asian American Drama.

"This edition of Asian American Drama contains 252 plays by 42 playwrights, together with detailed, fielded information on related productions, theaters, production companies, and more. Some 50% of these plays have never been published before. The database also includes selected playbills, production photographs and other ephemera related to the plays." - Homepage, viewed February 2, 2006.

Black Drama, 1850 to Present.

"This edition of Black Drama contains approximately 1200 plays by 201 playwrights, together with detailed, fielded information on related productions, theaters, production companies, and more. The database also includes selected playbills, production photographs and other ephemera related to the plays.Some 440 of the plays are published here for the first time, including a number by major authors. "--Homepage, viewed April 2, 2004.

Early English Books Online (EEBO)

From the first book printed in English by William Caxton, through the age of Spenser and Shakespeare and the tumult of the English Civil War, Early English Books Online) contains over 125,000 titles listed in Pollard & Redgrave's Short-Title Catalogue (1475 - 1640), Wing's Short-Title Catalogue (1641-1700), and the Thomason Tracts (1640-1661)

.

Eighteenth Century Collections Online. (ECCO)

A comprehensive digital edition of The Eighteenth Century microfilm set, which has aimed to include every significant English-language and foreign-language title printed in the United Kingdom, along with thousands of important works from the Americas, between 1701 and 1800. Consists of books, pamphlets, broadsides, ephemera. When completed, the full collection will include nearly 150,000 titles and more than 33,000,000 pages of searchable material.

Literature Online. (LION)

A full-text collection of poetry, drama, and prose with complementary references sources. Primary texts include English poetry from 600 to the present; American and African-American poetry from 1603 to the present; English drama; English prose; full-text articles from literary journals; and biographical information on widely studied authors. Individual collections include American Drama (1714-1915); English Drama (1280-1915), and Editions and Adaptations of Shakespeare.

North American Women's Drama.

When complete, the collection in this searchable database will include the full text of more than 1,500 plays by women playwrights of the United States and Canada, some not published before. Included are selected playbills, production photographs, and biographical data.

Theatre in Video

Contains performances of the world’s leading plays and film documentaries on the subject of theater in streaming video. Some plays presented in multiple productions exemplifying various interpretations of the text, and technical and cultural differences among the presentations. Stage work of directors and actors are cross-searchable and available for side-by-side comparison. Interviews with directors, designers, writers, and actors, along with excerpts of live performances, provide illustration of the development of texts and the productions.

PERIODICAL ARTICLE INDEXES

Annual bibliography of English Language and Literature (ABELL)

Compiled by members of the Modern Humanities Research Association. Best to use the Search Criticism and Reference link in LION to connect to ABELL, an index that overlaps with the MLA, but includes some journals and articles the MLA does not. Some ABELL citations link to full-text articles in JSTOR.

Arts & Humanities Citation Index in Web of Science: Citation Databases.

ISI citation databases are multidisciplinary databases of bibliographic information indexed to be searched by subject, author, journal, and/or author address. They can also be searched for articles that cite a known author or work. Cited reference searching allows use of a given work as if it were a subject term, to identify more recent articles on the same topic. The Arts & Humanities component covers back to 1975. Indexes many performance reviews.

Dramatic index for 1909-1949. (Bound with Annual Magazine Subject Index.) Boston Book Co., 1909-1952. Olin Ref AI3 M18

Beginning with 1909, each volume is in two parts, each part having separate title page and pagination: pt. I, Annual magazine subject-index: pt. II, The Dramatic index. The Dramatic Index serves as an index to books, journal articles, illustrations, play texts and reviews. Covers general and specialized English-language periodicals. Articles are entered under subject only, with reviews of plays found under the title of the play. An important but often overlooked resource.

Humanities International Index

A comprehensive database covering journals, books and other important reference sources in the humanities and provides cover-to-cover indexing and abstracting for over 1,700 journals and contains more than 1.5 million records. Humanities International Index includes deep backfiles for some of the most important journals in the area of humanities. The database includes all data from American Humanities Index plus bibliographic records from a multitude of international journals, books and reference works. This database provides citations and abstracts for articles, essays and reviews, as well as original creative works including poems, fiction, photographs, paintings and illustrations.

International Index to the Performing Arts (IIPA)

IIPA Full Text covers a broad spectrum of the arts and entertainment industry--including dance, film, television, drama, theater, stagecraft, musical theater, broadcast arts, circus performance, comedy, storytelling, opera, pantomime, puppetry, magic and more. Full text from 1999 onward.

Literature Resource Center (LRC)

A complete literature database combining biographical, bibliographical, and contextual information on authors and their works (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama, history, and journalism). Draws from Gale Group's core literary databases including Contemporary Authors, Dictionary of Literary Biography (DLB), and Contemporary Literary Criticism (CLC). Reproduces many full-text periodical articles on the authors covered, and provides search capability for Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature and Gale literary index.

MLA Bibliography.

The largest and most comprehensive online database covering scholarship in the modern languages, linguistics, literatures, folklore, theater, and film. Indexes approximately 4,000 journals and series as well as some books; entries appear both for collections of essays and for their contents. Updated ten times per year. Online access is restricted to the Cornell community. Also available in print as the MLA International Bibliography of Books and Articles on the Modern Languages and Literatures, from 1921 to 1962, in Olin Library Reference (Olin Ref +Z 7006 M68).

Proquest Research Library. (also known as Proquest) Ann Arbor: UMI, 1986- .

Indexes and abstracts over 1600 general interest magazines and scholarly journals. It also includes citations and abstracts to selected television and radio programs. Many of the articles found by searching in this database are available in full text electronic formats. The database can be divided by subject (general or business), format (newspaper or magazine and journal articles), or by date (current covers articles published from 1997 to the present, backfile covers pre-1985 through 1996). Good source for film reviews published in general interest magazines during the last 20 years. Many full-text articles available.

Periodicals Contents Index (PCI). 1770 - 1993.

Electronic index to thousands of periodicals in the humanities and social sciences, covering each periodical from its first issue. Every article is indexed. The scope is international, including journals in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish and other languages. Not only a good source for academic articles on film, but for film reviews as well (e.g., a title keyword search, STRANGERS AND TRAIN, will retrieve several original reviews of Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train.)

World Shakespeare Bibliography.

Published for the Folger Shakespeare Library by The Johns Hopkins University Press, [1999?]- Electronic coverage as of June 3, 2003: 1968-2003. When complete, it will provide annotated entries for all important books, articles, book reviews, dissertations, theatrical productions, reviews of productions, audiovisual materials, electronic media, and other scholarly and popular materials related to Shakespeare and published or produced since 1900.

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THEATER REVIEW INDEXES

A Guide to Critical Reviews, by James M. Salem. New York, Scarecrow Press, 1966-71. 4 parts in 5 vols.Olin Ref Z5781 S16

Contents: pt. 1. American drama from O'Neill to Albee.--pt. 2. The musical from Rodgers and Hart to Lerner and Loewe.--pt. 3. British & continental drama from Ibsen to Pinter.--pt. 4. The screenplay, from The jazz singer to Dr. Strangelove (2 v.)

                                           2nd edition. 1973-76.Olin Ref Z5781 S16 1973

Contents: pt. 1. American drama, 1909-1969.--pt. 2. The musical, 1909-1974.--pt. 3. Foreign drama, 1909-1977

                                           3rd edition. 1984-1991.Olin Ref Z5781 S16 1984

Contents: pt. 1. American drama, 1909-1982 -- pt. 2. The musical. 1909-1989.

New York Theatre Critics' Reviews. New York, Critics' Theatre Reviews, inc. 1940-1994. Olin stacks - 3rd floor -Oversize PN1601 .N53 ++

"Theatre reviews is a complete guide and record of the New York stage, reprinted from New York sun, New York times, New York herald tribune, New York post, New York daily news, New York world telegram" 1940- ; reprinted from the New York daily news, Wall Street journal, Time, New York post, Women's wear daily, New York times, Christian science monitor, Newsweek, NBC.

The New York Times Theater Reviews. New York Times and Arno, 1971- . Olin Ref PN 2189 N53++; also Uris Ref PN 2266 N53

Facsimile reprints of the reviews of theater productions as they appeared in the New York Times. Arranged chronologically, the set also includes appendices of awards and prizes and of productions and runs by season as well as indexes by title, production company, and personal name. The first 21 volumes cover the years 1870-1970. Since then volumes have been published biannually.

Theatre Reviews Limited

A "source for reviews of many of the shows currently running in Manhattan as well as in New Jersey and around the United States. You will also find listings of shows that are on tour. Additionally, Theatre Reviews Limited has one of the most extensive archives of reviews available in electronic or print media." (Web site)

Samples, Gordon. How to Locate Reviews of Plays and Films: a Bibliography of Criticism from the Beginnings to the Present. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press, 1976. Olin Ref Z5781 S19 H8

Lists resources for finding theatrical reviews, including indexing services, theatre periodicals, reference guides, etc. Somewhat dated, but still useful for historical research.

African American Dramatists: An A-Z Guide edited by Emmanuel S. Nelson. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2004. Olin Ref PS338 N4 A69 2004

"This reference offers thorough critical assessments of more than 60 African American dramatists from the 19th century to the present. Included are alphabetically arranged entries on such playwrights as Ira Aldridge, James Baldwin, Arna Bontemps, Ed Bullins, Zora Neale Hurston, Willis Richardson, and Richard Wright. Each entry is written by an expert contributor and provides a biography, a discussion of major works and themes, a survey of the dramatist's critical reception, and primary and secondary bibliographies. The volume closes with a selected, general bibliography."

Contemporary Black American Playwrights and their Plays: a Biographical Directory and Dramatic Index, Bernard L. Peterson, Jr. New York: Greenwood Press, c1988. Olin, Uris and Africana Reference PS153 N5 P48

Lists over 700 black Americans who have written for the theater, film, television, and radio from 1950 to the present. Includes brief biographical data and an annotated list of plays.

Contemporary Dramatists. London: St. James Press. 6th ed., 1999. Olin Ref PR106 C76 6th. ed 1999 (older editions in stacks)

Provides biographical and bibliographic information, as well as brief critical essays, on 433 English-language dramatists, all of whom were alive at the time of its publication. Most are from North America and the British Isles.

Contemporary Gay American Poets and Playwrights: an A-to-Z Guide, edited by Emmanuel S. Nelson. Westport, CT : Greenwood Press, 2003. Olin Ref PS325 C656 2003

Alphabetically arranged entries present 62 contemporary gay American poets and dramatists. Each entry is written by an expert contributor and includes a biography, a discussion of major works and themes, an overview of the author's critical reception, and primary and secondary bibliographies. (abridged publisher description)

Contemporary Jewish-American Dramatists and Poets: a Bio-critical Sourcebook, edited by Joel Shatzky and Michael Taub. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1999. Olin Ref PS153 J4 C68x 1999

Includes alphabetically arranged entries for more than 70 contemporary Jewish-American dramatists and poets. Each includes a brief biography, a discussion of major works and themes, an overview of the critical reception of the author's writings, and a bibliography of primary and secondary sources. The first part of the book includes entries for dramatists, and the second covers poets. Each part is introduced by a short overview essay, and the volume closes with selected, general bibliographies. (abridged publisher description)

Contemporary Theatre, Film, and Television. Detroit: Gale, 1984- . Olin PN 2285 C76+; latest volume in Reference

A biographical guide covering American and British performers, directors, writers, producers, designers, managers, choreographers, technicians, composers, executives, dancers, and critics. Each entry provides personal, career, and sidelight information. Appropriate writings and awards are listed. There are currently more than 25 volumes. The latest volume -- has a cumulative index.

Dictionary of Literary Biography.

Contains essays outlining the lives and careers of authors from all eras and genres, and summarizes the critical response to their work. Text corresponds to printed version (Uris Library Reference PS 129 D55) but online version lacks the visual material (photos, mss. page facsimiles, etc.) that appear in print. Part of the Literature Resource Center.

Famous Actors and Actresses on the American Stage, William C. Young. New York: R. R. Bowker Co., [1975] 2 vols. Olin Ref PN2285 Y78+

Alphabetically arranged entries provide biographical information and excerpts from primary sources and review for American stage performers, emphasizing those living in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Illustrated with photographs and portraits.

Notable Women in the American Theatre: a Biographical Dictionary, edited by Alice M. Robinson, Vera Mowry Roberts, and Milly S. Barranger. New York: Greenwood Press, 1989. Olin Ref PN2285 N65x 1989

300 alphabetical articles provide biographical information on women in American theater, including actors, directors, designers, choreographers, playwrights, critics, and agents. Each entry contains a selected bibliography. Includes indexes by birthplace and profession.

Stage Deaths: a Biographical Guide to International Theatrical Obituaries, 1850 to 1990, compiled by George B. Bryan. New York: Greenwood Press, 1991. Olin Ref Z5781 S76x 1991

Provides basic biographical data for, and references to the obituaries (in The Era, The Stage, The Clipper, New York Dramatic Mirror, Variety, London Times, New York Times, and others) of major and minor theatrical personnel who died between 1850 and 1990. International in scope.

Theatrical Designers: an International Biographical Dictionary edited by Thomas J. Mikotowicz. New York: Greenwood, 1992. Olin Ref PN2096 A1 T37

One-volume, alphabetically arranged collection of signed, brief biographies of important figures in the history of theatrical design. Includes an historical overview of the subject, a chronological list of designers, and a selected bibliography.

Theatrical Directors: a Biographical Dictionary edited by John W. Frick & Stephen M. Vallillo. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1994. Olin Ref PN2205 T37

Contains biographical sketches of over 300 individuals. It includes both contemporary directors and those who are no longer working. Emphasis is on artists who have international reputations, especially those whose work has had an impact on American theatre. Each entry profiles the director's life and assesses the significance of his or her accomplishments, provides a list of productions not mentioned in the narrative, and includes a bibliography. The work also includes appendixes, providing a selected bibliography, and indexes of names and plays.

American Dissertations on the Drama and the Theatre; a Bibliography

, [by] Fredric M. Litto. Kent, Ohio: Kent State University Press, [1969] Olin Ref Z5781 L78 +

Contains keyword and subject indexes to U.S. theater dissertations up to 1969. Use the Dissertation Abstracts database for more recent information.

American Drama Criticism: Interpretations, 1890-1977 (plus Supplements to 1992). Hamden, Conn.: Shoe String Press, 1979-[1992]. Olin Ref Z5781 P17 1979; also Uris Ref

Arranged alphabetically by playwright and sub-categorized by the title of the work, these volumes list journal articles and reviews that appear in academic journals, general magazines, and theater publications. No abstracts, but a good way to get a list of relevant citations quickly.

Bibliography of Medieval Drama, [by] Carl. J. Stratman. New York: F. Ungar [1972] 2d ed., rev. and enl. 2 vols. Olin Ref Z5782 A2 S89 1972; another set in stacks

Lists scholarly materials -- largely book and articles -- in the following subject areas: liturgical latin drama, English drama, Byzantine drama, French drama, German drama, Italian drama, Low Countries drama, and Spanish drama. Indexed.

Stratman, Carl Joseph, Britain's Theatrical Periodicals, 1720-1967, a Bibliography. New York: New York Public Library, 1972. Olin Ref Z5783 S89 1972+

Provides bibliographic data for periodicals focusing on the theater in Britain.

European Drama Criticism, 1900-1975. 2nd ed. Hamden: Shoe String, 1977. Uris Ref Z 5781 P17 1977; also Olin Ref Z 5781 P17 E9 1977

A comprehensive listing of criticism which has appeared in books and periodicals in English and foreign languages, from 1900 to 1975. Arrangement is alphabetical by playwright, with plays alphabetized under the playwright. Cross references are included.

International Bibliography of Theatre. New York: Publishing Denter for Cultural Resources, CUNY, 1982-1999. Olin Stacks +Z5783 I61

A comprehensive annual bibliography covering theatre on an international basis. There is some delay in getting annual volumes out, but an extensive subject index makes up for the lack of currency.

Carpenter, Charles A. Modern Drama Scholarship and Criticism, 1966-1980: an International Bibliography. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1986. Olin Ref Z5781 C29

"A classified, selective list of publications on world drama since Ibsen. the volume is intended mainly for students of modern dramatic literature. Play and playwright, rather than performance and performer, hold center stage." (Preface)

________________. Modern Drama Scholarship and Criticism, 1981-1990: an International Bibliography. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, . Olin Ref Z5781 C291 1997

Updates and continues the previous volume, with additions and corrections to it. Emphasizes contemporary theory and performance theory more than its predecessor.

DIRECTORIES

Directory of Theatre Faculties in Colleges and Universities, U.S. and Canada. Boulder, Colo. : CMS Publications, 4th ed. (1995-96). Olin Ref PN2289 D61+

Listings by university, with indexes by faculty member name, graduate degrees, and area of teaching interest. Also contains a list of institutional e-mail addresses.

Dramatists Sourcebook. New York, NY : Theatre Communications Group, 1981-82- date. Olin Ref PN2289 D77 - latest volume only.

Lists more than 1,100 opportunities for playwrights, translators, composers, lyricists, and librettists, as well as opportunities for screen, radio, and television writers. The Sourcebook details script-submission procedures for more than 350 theatres seeking new plays; more than 150 prizes and sections on submission guidelines, fellowships and grants, organizations, script preparation, agents, colonies and residencies, workshops, publishing opportunities, and submission calendars. Thoroughly indexed, with a calendar of submission deadlines.

SELECTED WEB SITES

Theatre History on the Web

Shakespeare's Globe Theatre Site

TheatreHistory.com

Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia

Brief Guide to Theatre and Performance Studies on the Web

WWW Virtual Library: Theatre and Drama

Theatre Resources from Artslynx

London Theatre Guide

Internet Theatre Database

International Theatre Design Archive

Theatre Library Association (Shubert Archive)

The New Deal Stage: Selections from the Federal Theatre Project: 1935-1939. (Library of Congress)

The Mercury Theatre on the Air

The Chicago Manual of Style. 15th ed. Chicago: U of Chicago, 1993. (Olin Reference Desk Z 253 U69x 2003; also Uris) "A standard work, thoroughly revised and updated, which serves as a how-to book for authors and editors. In three main sections (Bookmaking; Style; Production and printing), offering practical information and advice on all aspects of manuscript preparation, copyediting, and seeing a work through the press. Glossary of technical terms; bibliography; index." (Sheehy). The basics online: Chicago Manual of Style.

Turabian, Kate L. A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations. 5th ed. Chicago: U Chicago P, 1987. (Uris and Olin Reference PE 1478 T92 1987) A newly revised and expanded version by B. Honigsblum, of Kate Turabian's standard guide for student writers. Fourteen chapters cover everything you've ever wanted to know about putting a paper together, from its introductory chapters to its bibliography. online version

MLA citation style

MLA citation style (Library Gateway Help)

MLA Style (MLA's web site)

Modern Language Association of America. MLA Style Manual. 2nd ed. New York: MLA, 1985.(Olin Reference PN147 G444x 1998; also Uris Reference) Although somewhat scholarly in tone, the purpose of the MLA Style Manual is to provide for the researcher, at whatever level, a systematic, consistent format for all forms of citation. In addition, it provides information about proofreading, the use of abbreviations, transliteration and such simple, but not always obvious items, as margin width, pagination, and typeface.

APA citation style

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.) CU Library Reference locations include Africana, ILR, Mann, Olin, and Uris Libraries at call number: BF76.7 .P83x 2001+.

APA citation style (Library Gateway Help)

APA Reference Examples for Electronic Source Materials Excerpted from the new 5th edition of the Publication Manual.

APAStyle.org

Managing Information using Bibliographic/Citation Software

RefWorks is a web-based program that allows you to easily collect, manage, and organize bibliographic references by interfacing with databases. RefWorks also interfaces directly with Word, making it easy to import references and incorporate them into your writing, properly formatted according to the style of your choice. For more information and to sign up for an account: http://www.refworks.cornell.edu

EndNote allows you to build your own database of bibliographic references from a variety of resources, including library catalogs and periodical indexes. EndNote interfaces with several standard word processing programs and provides direct connections to resources, making it easy to import references and incorporate them in your writing. EndNote (or RefWorks) is highly recommended for researchers. EndNote workshops are regularly held on campus.

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